


Feelings and Things

by klowee



Category: Pitch Perfect (2012)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-03
Updated: 2013-11-03
Packaged: 2017-12-31 07:46:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1029109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klowee/pseuds/klowee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This time last year, Beca would have gone bankrupt had she bet where she’d be and what she’d be doing today</p>
            </blockquote>





	Feelings and Things

She observed all the fresh campus meat — easily identified by their new Barden whistles hanging stiffly from their wrists — as they buzzed from one booth to the other.  Beca leaned against the table with a stack of flyers in her arm as Amy more aggressively approached girls who she thought looked like they could sing.  
  
“You can just tell,” Amy had said to Beca, “I acquired this skill when I was the casting director for this musical back in Tazmania.”

While a rather eager young girl bombarded the more enthusiastic recruiter, Beca took this opportunity to check her phone.

 No buzzing, no beeping, nothing lit — no surprise.  She scrolled through old SMS texts and stopped over _Chloe_. They hadn’t exchanged many texts since the older Bella graduated — and she hadn’t received a random “no reason text” from her in a while. Beca opened up the message thread and wondered if she’d ever initiated any of them.  Hmmm.

  _I don’t know how you stood at this booth all day and lived to tell the tale,_ Beca punched out quickly. Sent.

 “—Beca would have the answer to your question,” Amy’s hand on her shoulder brought her back to the here and now and she quickly slipped her phone in her back jean pocket.

 "What kind of songs are you planning on singing this year?” The new hopeful asked the thin brunette.

“We’ll be covering a whole range,” Beca answered quickly, “We’ll try to keep it fresh — we’ll see what works after we get everyone together.”

The girl accepted a flyer from Amy, thanked them and went on her way.  When Beca felt a buzz in her back pocket — she jumped before she reached to check her phone.

_Oh, activities fair day! Jealous. Anything promising yet?_   Chloe had written back to her.  Before Beca could even hit reply, her phone went off again _: Just remember, when Aubrey started to lose hope, we found you. Follow the pretty girls with the big headphones!_

 Beca couldn’t fight the smile.  It was there and Amy spotted it.  “Who are you texting?"

“Oh, just Chloe,” Beca answered.

“How’s she doing?” Amy lit up at the name, “I spammed Aubrey’s phone yesterday — told her we’d miss her insanity this year.”

Beca didn’t actually know how the redhead was doing.  All she knew was Chloe had found a bachelor apartment in the city, got a job bartending or cocktailing and she was giving voice lessons when she wasn’t on shift.  That was in the e-mail update she received in July and since there hadn’t been an update since, she assumed that’s where she was still at.

 “She’s doing well,” Beca offered before she went on to respond to her last text.

  _I secretly wish you were here_ , Becca sent.

  _Phone date later_? Chloe texted back almost immediately.

_I’ll be back in my dorm around 7._

 :) and Beca found it strange that such a simple message could fill her with such an energy.

\--

 Beca returned to her dorm room and sighed as she dropped her heavy bag onto the floor.  She was rooming with Stacie this year — which was awesome because it was like having the dorm to herself most of the time.  They’d established a rule early on — no bringing home randoms. Which was fine, because Stacie preffered hooking up and hanging out — before heading home just for sleep and cuticle care.

When her phone started going off, she had to rummage through her bag to find it. The ringtone went off for a while and just when Beca feared the voicemail would beat her to the call — she accepted it just in time, “Hey.”

“Just got in?” Chloe’s voice travel pleasantly through the receiver.

“Yeah,” Beca settled into her sofa-bed and leaned back against her wall.

“Any good recruits?”

“Guess we’ll find out at auditions,” Beca smiled as she leaned her head into her shoulder and dropped her hands on her thighs, “How are you doing?”

“Pretty well,” Chloe began, “Serving’s fine and giving voice lessons to cute little brats is also satisfying. It’s all good for now and I can’t complain. How is everyone?  I haven’t spoken to anyone in ages!”

“Everyone’s pretty excited for an aca-awesome year,” Becca laughed at herself for submitting to the cheese and Chloe’s giggles confirmed that she the redhead was aca-amused.

She wasn’t sure when it happened, but Beca had started embracing human connections and started to value things like friendships. And though she enjoyed her easily accessible friendships with the other Bellas, there was something especially satisfying about this one with Chloe .  But when the friend on the line suggested she drive an hour and a half off campus and into the city to visit in two weekends, she was still surprised with herself when she said ‘yes’ with mild enthusiasm.

Auditions went well and Beca was pleased with her roster of new talent. She let Amy lead initiation and found herself in more of a Chloe role — besides the times she needed to teach the girls her new arrangements.

While Stacie and Lily worked with the team on choreography,  Beca took the opportunity to check her phone.

_So Insane — Discovery :),_ was in her inbox. Text exchanges with Chloe had become frequent leading up to their visit.

_I will illegally download it when I’m home. Busy shift?_ Beca texted back, smiling brighter than she expected.

“Your visit’s this weekend, yes?” Amy asked as she came to stand by Beca — startling her a bit.

“Yeah! I’m driving there tomorrow after my 1PM class,” she said, “Got my playlist ready.”

“Maybe get some pointers on Treble-whipping, eh? Hey, have you spoken to Jesse at  all yet?” Amy paused, “You two didn’t say much at the auditions.”

“Yeah, not really. He hasn’t been so friendly since we decided to, yknow, be friends,” Beca sighed, “Guess we’ll see him at the riff-off.”

“Ah, you don’t need him, right?” Amy offered.

“Nah,” Beca smiled, accepting that.

“Tell Chloe we tried to find a ginger in her honour,” Amy added as Beca started gathering her things before they wrapped up rehearsal, “Or just tell her I said hi and it’d be cool if she decided to come here for a visit next.”

“I will,” Beca promised, “See you Monday?”

“Have a good weekend!” And then, Beca was out.

\--

Thank god for GPS, Chloe’s apartment was above a convenience store and harder to find than she anticipated. When the door swung open, Beca was greeted by bright blue eyes and a smile she didn’t realize she missed so much until it was back in her life.

“Good song,” Beca returned the smile as she stepped inside, “Your place is cute.”

  
It was colourful, warm, cozy, inviting and all things Chloe. She placed her belongings beside the fouton couch before taking a seat.

“Thanks — hope it was, yknow, worth the drive,” Chloe made her way into the kitchen, “Thirsty?”

“Whatever you’re having,” Beca responded, “The drive wasn’t so bad.”

Chloe returned with two glasses of red, “It’s malbec — you don’t have to finish it if you don’t like it.”

“Thanks,” Beca accepted it, clinked her glass and took a sip, “It’s good.”

“I’m not really into wine but I serve this at the restaurant and it’s pretty decent,” Chloe shrugged as she took a seat next to the brunette, “It’s so good to see you.”

“It’s good seeing you too,” Beca paused, “Bella practice isn’t really the same without you — oh, and Amy says hi.”

“Oh, that’s nice,” Chloe grinned, “Hey, are you down for going out tonight?”

“Sure,” Beca smiled, “Where are we going?”

“Just this pub close by — some people from work are going and they’re pretty cool. I told them we may meet up with them,” Chloe continued, “Only if you’re up for it. There’s karaoke!”

“Yeah, I’ll go — but I’m not singing,” Beca gave Chloe a stern look.

“Deal, but I’m not promising I won’t,” the redhead winked.

There was something so nice just sharing space with this girl again. Beca was mildly concerned it’d be awkward — but Chloe had this ability to make everything comfortable. And despite Beca’s usual guarded demeanor, she couldn’t help but gravitate towards this warm personality.

\--

They got to the pub just after 10PM and quickly joined a long table made up of Chloe’s coworkers. After a blur of introductions, one girl — Heidi, a bartender, Beca recalled — got up on stage to perform her rendition of Journey’s _Don’t Stop Believing_.

There was something in Chloe’s eyes while she was watching Heidi sing that caused Beca’s heart to sink. She felt something, in the pit of her stomach, swell when she saw the wink Heidi sent in Chloe’s direction.

There was something going on and Beca felt weird about it.

Something that made her cross her legs so her knee was no longer in contact with Chloe’s.  At the loss of contact, Chloe leaned her shoulder to the side so it touched Beca’s — she stiffened.  “You okay?” Chloe asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Beca smiled with her mouth.

“Sure?” Chloe raised a brow.

“Sure,” Beca was saved by the song ending and Heidi disappearing and reappearing with three shots of Jameson.

“And one for your friend,” Heidi smiled and Beca wanted to punch her.

Instead, she accepted the shot and took it with the other two.  “You did amazing,” Chloe reached over the table and grabbed the girl’s wrist.

There was something about the sight of physical contact in front of Beca that caused her chest to constrict and made her want to look away. But she couldn’t. Instead, she placed a hand on Chloe’s thigh and smiled at her when she looked her way.

Oh god, she was fighting for Chloe’s attention.

She decided to attribute this strange behaviour to the wine, pint of beer and shot of jameson in her small body.

When the music started to change, Heidi got up and started dancing.  She gestured at Chloe and Beca to do the same — Beca declined but encouraged Chloe to get up so she could attempt to identity what she was feeling.

And yeah, there was something streaming through Beca’s bloodstream that was thicker than alcohol — it was something that made her feel like she was about to choke or lose air as she watched the two girls tangle their limbs in front of her.

Oh god, she was _jealous_.

Beca got up and made her way to the ladies room. She was standing in front of the mirror staring at her reflection, trying to figure out what was even going on. What had she been expecting? Why was she feeling so crazy? Why was she freaking out?

In a minute, the door swung open and Chloe’s worried expression was facing her. The redhead leaned against the door and didn’t say anything for a moment.

“Are you having fun?” Chloe asked.

“Yeah,” Beca said as she leaned against the sink, “I am. Are you?”

“Good,” Chloe bit her bottom lip before making eye contact with the brunette, “Hey, so, I’ve been hanging out with Heidi lately.”

“I didn’t know you were…”

“I’m not —“ Chloe paused and smiled so genuinely, “Well, actually, more and more, I think that I might be.”

“Oh,” Beca knew she was wearing a surprised expression, “That’s cool.”

“You’re not all freaked out?” Chloe asked, all hopeful.

“No, not at all,” Beca responded.  What did freak her out was the lady gay feelings that were shooting through her own body, “Are you and Heidi dating?”

“No,” Chloe said, “We’re just hanging out and, like, we made out once.”

There was something about that piece of honesty that made Beca’s lungs feel like they were about to completely deflate.

“Hey,” Chloe started, “Are you still dating Jesse?”

  
Clearly, Chloe didn’t get the memo. But then again, how would she?  She didn’t tell her it didn’t work out — she never asked; they never talked about it. Suddenly, Beca felt very strange in this situation and wondered how she was even standing in this random bathroom in this random pub in this random city with this girl she just developed all these random feelings for.

“No,” Beca looked her straight in the eyes and could have sworn she saw something like relief in the blue. And there was this thing that happened to her heart, this lightness that someone who was more emotionally capable than she was would identify as maybe hope.

“I’m sorry,” Chloe said.

“I’m not,” Beca sighed as she looked at the redhead. God, she was pretty. Beautiful, even.  And when Chloe pulled her into this serious hug, Beca was overcome by all these feelings. What was Chloe wearing — did she always smell this good?  All she could do was hug the girl back.

When Beca pulled back, she was certain she could see that Chloe was blushing — and that’s when that lightness in her chest turned into a flutter.

  
There was this energy that was passing between them and Beca didn’t understand it. It was a feeling that was amplified due to their close proximity and Beca couldn’t stop staring at the girl.

“You’re really awesome,” Chloe said slightly above a whisper. And Beca wondered — did the redhead feel all this stuff going on too?  Now, she wasn’t queen of human interaction but she was almost certain this couldn’t be something she felt all on her own.  And that look in Chloe’s eyes — it was something.  This was a thing —

And the door opened.  It was Heidi.

“Just have to pee,” she grinned at Chloe and stepped into a stall neither of the other girls were using.

And just like that, the moment was interrupted.

They left the bathroom and were back outside in the bar.

\--

Beca bought a round of tequila for the three of them and marveled at how the bar didn’t even think to ID her underaged ass. She decided it must be because she was with a bunch of regulars and they didn’t need to worry.  Either way, she brought over the shots before she went up on stage.

Oh yeah, she sang “Titanium” to Chloe and definitely gave her a wink.

Beca wasn’t foreign to drinking — but she was certainly foreign to feelings.  And feelings got her more intoxicated than any amount of alcohol — and this is likely why she boycotted the whole human emotion thing for so long.

It turned out her performance was well received, because the moment she was offstage, she found herself in Chloe’s lap.

“I don’t like Heidi,” she pushed a strand of hair aside and whispered in Chloe’s ear.

“Why?” Chloe pouted and looked up at the brunette with her arms draped around her own shoulders.

“Because,” Beca continued to whisper while watching the red head’s face as it turned curious as Chloe bit her bottom lip fighting a smile, “Because she sucks.”

“That’s not nice,” Chloe raised a brow and turned to face Beca — their faces close.

“Okay, she doesn’t suck,” Beca rolled her eyes and said, “Because she’s too tall?”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I see you with someone smaller.  Someone who harmonizes with you better.”

“Someone like you?” Chloe grinned.

“Fast friends,” Beca rested her forehead against Chloe and felt the heat radiating between the two of them, “Can we go home?”  
  
They gave half-hearted goodbyes and took off. Neither of them said a word but fiddled with each other’s hands the whole way back to Chloe’s apartment in the back of the cab — which was really all of a five minute ride.

Chloe unlocked the door and let Beca in first. Once the door shut, Beca spun around on her heal and Chloe thought she heard her say, “Yeah, okay,” and before she knew it she was pressed with her back against her front door and Beca’s mouth was against her own.

God, Beca was kissing Chloe and everything made sense again.

Beca with her fists full of tangled clumps of red hair pulled her deeper into her. It was pure delight and release and serious want all at once. Beca got all these feelings, all at once and just let her lust over this ridiculously attractive girl take flight.

When Chloe bit Beca’s bottom lip and sucked it into her mouth, Beca enjoyed a shiver that left tingles all over her entire body — even her fingertips twitched as she grabbed onto the girl’s sides. The sensation was incredible and Beca found herself pulling and pushing the redhead as she kissed her all the way to the couch.  She pulled her down on top of her. Girl bodyweight was the very best feeling, she thought.

Yeah, this was good and Beca heard these noises escape her own mouth and found herself giggling when the redhead took those sounds as encouragement and started dragging her tongue along the brunette’s neck.

“Chloe,” Beca released one more sweet lady moan before she grabbed the redhead’s face and pulled it away from her own. She nearly died when Chloe’s mouth closed over a finger that lingered close on the edge of her face. She sucked it. “Okay, that’s hot.”

“Yeah?” Chloe asked as she kissed away Beca’s finger.

“So, I kind of like you,” Beca said seriously, making eye contact in hopes of supporting her statement with a look, “Like a lot. Like, I can’t stop thinking about you.”

“Good,” Chloe strained against Beca’s hold and tricked her into a quick kiss, “Because I’ve had a serious long-time lady crush on you since forever.”

“How long’s forever? I mean, when did forever begin?”

“Around the same time you totally shut me down at the activities fair — y’know, that place you were at when you sent me that text a year later,” Chloe dodged a kiss from Beca, letting the brunettes lips gently crash against her cheek.

“I just wanted to text you,” Beca tried kissing Chloe again, but got the cheek once more, “I was thinking about you.”

“I like that,” Chloe reached Beca’s cheek this time and deliberately placed a kiss there.

“There was this thing — this thing with us I like. This being near you I craved,” Beca decided Chloe must’ve liked this talk because she let her kiss her on the mouth again, “I felt this thing for you.”

“I like when you text me,” Chloe dipped down and kissed her hard, “And I like when you kiss me. Personally, I like this thing.”

“Yeah, I like it too,” Beca left several short kisses on her lips before she continued, “I don’t, however, like Heidi.”

“Yeah, well, honestly? Heidi’s not you,” Chloe said seriously, “I want you.”

“Good,” Claimed and promised with a kiss.

“Like, only, k?” Another kiss.

“Deal.”

Turned out Beca was pretty good at this feelings thing and also not so bad at the connection thing. Also, she was pretty good at this girl thing — and by girl, she means Chloe thing.  This was the best thing.

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first Pitch Perfect piece (and the first fanfiction I wrote in half a decade!)


End file.
